The familiar scent of wood hit her first.
Su Yemang opened her eyes in shock, and by the moonlight, she saw those peach blossom eyes.
It was Xiao Ye.
Her chest heaved violently. “Ugh… ugh…”
Through clenched teeth, Xiao Ye forced out a few words: “Back then… when you left… you were so carefree…”
Su Yemang was being held by the back of her head.
The scent of wood mixed with alcohol made her jaw tremble.
He gripped her wrists tightly, avoiding the hand that had been stepped on a few days ago.
The upholstered sofa creaked and groaned from the springs.
From the sofa, their kiss moved onto the coffee table…
“Clang! Crash!”
Enamel cups, tin boxes, and a basket of sewing supplies all tumbled to the floor.
The noise was piercing in the night.
Between clenched teeth, Xiao Ye stammered out broken words: “After… we… separated… you married right away… really…”
Su Yemang bit his lips hard, then shoved him away.
She grabbed a stool and held it in front of her chest. “Xiao Ye, you’re insane!”
Xiao Ye’s lips were split, and he looked dazedly at her.
Su Yemang’s voice was stern. “Don’t forget, you’re no longer the tyrant of Yongbei Village. You’re a soldier!”
Xiao Ye’s shoulders stiffened. His neck flushed red down to his jaw as he stepped toward her…
Moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the freshly dusted glass.
Inside the room:
Half lit, half dark. Su Yemang stood on the sofa, towering over him. “Stop, Xiao Ye! Leave my house right now.”
Xiao Ye’s eyes were red. “So fierce?”
Su Yemang froze, sensing he wasn’t drunk after all. “Xiao Ye… what exactly do you want?”
He rubbed his forehead. “Nothing. I just want to ask you one question and then leave.”
Su Yemang stared at him. “Go ahead.”
“Xu Gu said… you got divorced just a month after getting married… Your ex husband… was in our military district?” Xiao Ye asked, his veins taut.
His handsome face was hidden in the shadows. He took a deep breath… forcing the moisture in his eyes back.
Su Yemang nodded.
Xiao Ye’s voice was hoarse. “Who is he?”
Su Yemang replied seriously, “You don’t need to know. He’s fine, that’s enough.”
Xiao Ye’s face turned pale. He looked at her, silent.
In the quiet room, Su Yemang could hear her own heartbeat.
Outside, the night was cold and silent, only distant footsteps tap tap tap tap like someone running.
Xiao Ye’s ears twitched.
He looked at her with drunken, half lidded eyes. “And yet… you didn’t cherish him either.”
After saying that, Xiao Ye turned toward the door.
He stopped suddenly. “The hot water’s at the door remember to bring it inside.”
Then the door slammed behind him.
Su Yemang froze. He brought her hot water? He wasn’t drunk at all?
Immediately after, a heavy door slammed in the next apartment.
Then the hallway light flicked on.
Inside the room:
Su Yemang switched on the light and stared at the white walls.
She had to keep her promise to Xia Guanfeng before he returned, she couldn’t be with anyone.
If Xiao Ye could listen to her explanation later, she would definitely…
The “Sanwu” wall clock ticked steadily: tick tock tick tock.
The three bedroom apartment inside the military system was clean and tidy. The tables and chairs had originally been green, but the Military Science Academy specially painted them maroon for her.
Without her son around, she suddenly felt very uneasy.
Just as she was about to close the door,
Su Yixin suddenly ran back. “Mom!”
Su Yemang quickly wrapped her son in a blanket. “Xinxin, why are you back?”
He leapt into her arms. “Mom, Uncle Xiao Ye left two huge buckets at the door!”
Su Yemang raised her eyebrows. So Xiao Ye really wasn’t drunk?
Su Yixin looked up. “Mom, Uncle Xiao Ye even turned on the hallway light for me.”
Su Yemang nodded. After thinking for a moment, she gently patted her son’s head. “Xinxin, I thought you were staying at Chen Wang’s house how did you come back?”
She pushed the small stove in front of him.
Su Yixin warmed himself by the stove. “Chen Wang’s stepdad brought his two kids too, so there wasn’t room. I left, and Aunt Chen took me to the front road.”
Su Yemang sighed. “Xinxin, you did the right thing.”
She then went to the bedroom.
As she was making the bed, her hand paused. “Tell me when Uncle Xiao Ye talked to you just now, did he seem drunk?”
“Nope. He was perfectly normal when he spoke.” Su Yixin shook his head.
Su Yemang suddenly realized Xiao Ye… he wasn’t drunk at all. He had deliberately pretended to be.
Then why did he also bring her hot water…
For four years of dating, Xiao Ye knew she loved baths, and every day he prepared hot water for her.
Night had deepened.
Her son finished washing up and went to sleep in the second bedroom.
Unable to take a bath, Su Yemang lay down with her pillow, flipping through the “Three Defense” documents until she fell asleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock came at the door.
Her hands shook in panic as she hid her pillow and went to open it.
At the doorway, there were only two large buckets of water, steaming hot.
She looked at the doorframe of the neighboring apartment vibrating and felt confused.
The northeast night.
Cold wind blew through the gaps from the Yalu River.
The boiler room in the compound wasn’t heating, yet the kang bed felt inexplicably warm throughout the night.
The next morning.
Before dawn. Su Yemang went to the kitchen to boil water. Just as she left the backyard, she saw Xiao Ye climbing over the wall from the rear yard, adding firewood to her stove.
So that was why the kang bed had been warm last night it was him.
He noticed Su Yemang and coldly looked away.
Su Yemang retreated to the living room to wash up.
Half an hour later,
There was another knock at the door.
She opened it, and Xiao Ye’s figure flashed past, leaving behind a bucket of hot water and two breakfasts.
Su Yemang took a deep breath. So this was his “punishment”?
The cold wind stirred the panda curtains.
7:30 a.m.
Su Yixin woke up.
Su Yemang wrapped him tightly in blankets and opened the door.
She slipped some money through the door crack for Xiao Ye, then took her son to the compound’s “Children’s Kindergarten for Officials’ Families.”
After dropping him off, she returned home.
At the entrance, in the tin box, she received a letter from her brother, Su Yechuan.
He mentioned that tomorrow afternoon, his work at the electromechanical factory would send him to the military district’s performance troupe, and he would stop by to see Su Yemang.
Thinking that her brother might encounter Yun Ruo, she clutched the letter tightly.
The next day. Su Yemang brought Xu Li’s ashes, planning to buy some joss paper at the service store before heading to the back mountain.
The service store was north of the wash up area.
As soon as she entered, she saw a familiar figure.
“Comrade, why did this soap suddenly go up by two cents?”
Yun Ruo was arguing with the shop assistant.
The assistant’s face darkened. “You again. Every time, you argue with us over a few cents. If you can’t afford it, leave.”
Yun Ruo rolled her eyes. “Why was it cheaper yesterday when my colleague Huang Ying bought it, and today it goes up?”
The assistant snorted. “The performance troupe’s… serious comrades are different from you.”
Su Yemang’s face darkened. She was about to step into the service store when someone grabbed her.
“Brother?”
She turned to see Su Yechuan.
He whispered, “Shh…”
Su Yemang nodded and glanced at Yun Ruo.
Turning back, she saw her brother frozen in place, staring blankly at Yun Ruo inside.
Su Yemang inhaled sharply. “Then brother, come by after your work this afternoon. I’ll head off first…”
Inside the service store.
Yun Ruo stretched out her arms and slammed the counter. “Bang!” “Why are you treating me differently?!”
Su Yechuan held the doorframe, like a statue who had regained his soul.
Passing female comrades noticed his ruggedly handsome face, saw his red rimmed eyes sneaking glances at a woman, and walked away quietly.
Back at the mountain.
The wind picked up. Su Yemang reached the mountaintop and scattered Xu Li’s ashes among the hills.
She held a data sketch. “Farewell, my dearest friend. I’ll continue your work…”
After scattering the ashes, the hills echoed with the bugle of “Reconnaissance Company stealth training.”
Several figures in camouflage appeared ahead.
She was about to evade when the wind suddenly gusted, blowing the sketch from her hands.
As she reached to grab it… the loose stones beneath her feet shifted.
She lost her balance and slipped
“Ah!”
A pair of strong hands suddenly wrapped around her waist.
The familiar scent of wood filled her nose.
She looked up and saw those peach blossom eyes.
Xiao Ye glared at her. “Su Yemang! Are you trying to kill yourself?!”
Before he finished speaking, the stones beneath them collapsed within a second
And the two of them fell together.